Villa hat-trick keeps pressure on Barca

MADRID, April 23 (Reuters) - Barcelona were denied the chance of wrapping up the Spanish title on Sunday when a stunning quick-fire hat-trick from David Villa gave Valencia a 3-0 win at relegation-threatened Athletic Bilbao.

The Valencia striker grabbed the goals in the space of just
four second-half minutes to hit one of the quickest hat-tricks
ever recorded in the Primera Liga and take his total for the
season to 22.

Barca's hopes of bringing a rapid conclusion to the title
race were dealt a further blow when their late game at Sevilla
looked certain to be called off because of a water-logged pitch
after a heavy downpour at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

A cloud burst 45 minutes before kickoff left the pitch
completely waterlogged and the referee decided to delay the
kickoff in an attempt to give the playing surface time to absorb
the water.

Despite the delay, a five-metre stretch of one side of the
pitch was left under water and the match was abandoned an hour
after the scheduled kickoff time.

Real Madrid snatched a barely deserved 2-1 win over basement
side Malaga after defender Sergio Ramos scored a last-minute
header at the Bernabeu.

Barca, who have a game in hand and five left to play, lead
the standings with 73 points, Valencia follow eight behind on
65, while Real have 63.

Osasuna are a point further back on 62 after an injury-time
strike from French midfielder Ludovic Delporte gave the
Navarrans at 1-0 win at Real Mallorca.

Real are away at Osasuna next week, while Barca host
relegation-threatened Cadiz at the Nou Camp.

Malaga were left staring relegation in the face after their
defeat at the Bernabeu and are now eight points adrift of Cadiz
at the bottom of the table.

The Andalucians, who drew 1-1 at home to Deportivo Coruna,
are just a point behind Alaves, while their are six other teams
within five points of the relegation zone.

Villa did not open the scoring against Bilbao until eight
minutes from time when he fired past keeper Inaki Lafuente after
racing on to a long pass hit from inside the Valencia half.

Two minutes later he squirmed his way past a defender and
Lafuente before steering home his second and moments later he
completed his hat-trick when he poked in at the far post after
some great work by Mario Regueiro and fellow striker Mista.

Real Madrid, who had drawn six of their last seven games,
produced yet another shoddy display at the Bernabeu.

Malaga, who had not won in 11 games, took the lead midway
through the first half when Brazilian midfielder Ricardo Bovio
slammed home at the near post after Antonio Lopez had got behind
right back Cicinho.

Italian striker Antonio Cassano spurned two great
opportunities to equalise, first skewing a shot over the bar and
then miscuing a close-range header before his team were jeered
off by their own fans at the break.

Cassano and fellow forward Julio Baptista were taken off on
the hour, giving way to Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Soldado.

Zidane is scheduled to give a news conference on Wednesday
when he will announce whether or not he will retire after the
World Cup.

It was the Frenchman who equalised for Real midway through
the second half when he fired a penalty low into the corner
after Raul was brought down in the area.

Real grabbed their streaky victory when Ramos threw himself
at the ball after Cicinho had clipped the ball across the face
of the area following a free kick in the final minute.